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Link Between Lactose Intolerance And Back Pain

April 14th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you are lactose intolerant and suffer from back pain, you might be surprised to know that the two may be related.

To understand how there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain, first we must understand what causes lactose intolerance.

Lactose is a sugar product found in many food items, especially common in the milk of all mammals regardless whether the mother is consuming it or not. Lactose intolerance is usually inherited (although some are still debating this) and usually arises when you cannot produce or produce enough of the enzyme Lactase. This enzyme is the key to breaking down Lactose for digestion. The inability of the body to do so usually results in severe stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence. In very rare cases, babies that are lactose intolerant develop what is known as congenital lactase deficiency. These infants will suffer from diarrhoea from birth. In years gone by, this situation was often fatal. However today it is easily treated in most major hospitals.

University researchers have found that nearly 75% of the African American population, 90% of Asian Americans, 80% of American Indians and 50% of Latin Americans all have some kind of intolerance for lactose. It has also been revealed that people within these groups show a decline in Lactase production from the age of five.

So is there a link between lactose intolerance and back pain?

It is a common fact that dairy products contain a lot of calcium and that calcium is needed for healthy bones. In the western world, 75% of our calcium intake is done through dairy products and for anyone that is lactose intolerant this intake is reduced quite dramatically.

Due mainly to a lack of understanding and also information, most people suffering from lactose intolerance just cut all dairy products from their daily diet all together and do not replace their daily calcium intake from other calcium-rich foods.

This in turn has devastating consequences resulting in the demineralization of the bones in girls as young as thirteen and even osteoporosis and fractures of the lumbar spine for many women in the later years. Demineralization can also result in very small fractures in the vertebrae causing mild to severe back pain and other associated back problems.

There is also a strong possibility that there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain and being allergic to milk. Milk allergies create lots of mucoid plaque, which in turn can put a lot of pressure on the lower back region. People that have undergone a total detox of the body have reported a significant drop in the levels of back pain felt. If you have a blotted abdomen, chances are that mucoid plaque is most probably the cause of the pain. However it is always wise to seek the help of a qualified physician for a professional diagnosis.

How It Affects Men

It is well known that more women that men suffer from osteoporosis. However men that are lactose intolerant and suffer from prostate cancer are usually prescribed female hormones hence increasing the risk of demineralization and osteoporosis.

How to Fix It

It is essential that if you are lactose intolerant that you replace your daily calcium intake with other calcium rich foods. One way to do this is to study other cultures and especially the foods that they consume. The Japanese and Chinese are not great consumers of dairy but do eat a lot of fish, which is very high in calcium. Other sources of calcium include seaweed, soybeans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sun dried tomatoes and countless others. A quick search on the Internet will be able to reveal quite an extensive list that you might not have known existed.

As none of these foods carry any lactose within them, it is imperative that you start adding some of them to your daily diet. Eating foods that contain a lot of calcium has been lab proven to reduce the chance of osteoporosis and in turn prevent back pain.

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Stabbing Lower Back Pain

April 3rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

A stabbing lower back pain may be induced by quite a list of things and this is why an appropriate diagnosis from a certified practitioner is essential prior to beginning some form of treatment.

Causes like ulcers, kidney stones, a pinched nerve or injury to the back may all lead to a stabbing lower back pain. You need to realize that the back is linked to your central nervous system and anything that takes place in that general area will be picked up and on the odd occasion, manifest itself as a stabbing lower back pain. The lesson of the story is that whenever you experience back pain, it doesn’t mean that it is 100% related to your back. It could be just a prior condition just disguised as a lower back pain.

What To Do If You Have A Stabbing Lower Back Pain

Your first plan of action when you feel a stabbing lower back pain is to start tracking the symptoms. Try a write down everything from when does it happen, what you are doing when you start feeling the pain, how long the pain last for or any other notes that you think will help. May be the pain only manifests itself after a meal or when you move in a certain way.

Your notes will certainly help your physician to get a better grasp of the problem and may even help pinpoint the root of the problem during your diagnosis.

After tracking the symptoms for a few days, you can then pay a visit to your local physician and together decide which course of action to take.

This type of back trouble is quite often caused by ulcers. There a several kinds of ulcers and Peptic ulcers are usually at the top of the list when it comes to this type of back pain. In case of ulcers, the pain is usually felt right after a meal and will usually start in the upper back.

Pulled muscular tissue and pinched nerves are also popular amidst the perpetrators for this type of back pain. Gallstones, kidney stones and other types of obstructions can likewise stimulate this type of painful sensation in the back so you should anticipate that x rays or additional forms of examination could be necessary to ascertain the accurate nature of the trouble. However be ready to undergo lots of tests as the cause can sometimes be very well hidden.

If you are prone to any of the conditions listed above, a quick visit to your doctor should be able to reveal the root of the problem. However, if this is not the case, your doctor should, by using an elimination process, be able to let you know what is not causing the stabbing lower back pain. Once the source is located, you should be able to start an appropriate treatment. It is also wise to ask you doctor whether he or she could recommend an alternate treatment program.

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The Possible Causes Of Left lower Side Back Pain

March 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Similarly to most back pains, left lower side back pain can result from a variety of causes. First you have to try and pinpoint where on the back is the pain coming from and what degree of pain you are experiencing. Left lower side back pain can usually be the by-product of something that is affecting your internal organs of the nausea could simply be from the high level of pain that you are experiencing.

The level of pain a person feels that can cause nausea differs from person to person. There are some key things, which can cause this type of pain.

Causes for left lower side back pain

One of the biggest causes of left lower side back pain is irritation of the intestines. Cramping can cause the nausea and cause the pain in the left side and back of the body. Sometimes this is called a kink in the intestines; some people call it a knot. It depends on whom you talk to about it. It does however right itself usually with a little rest but can be incredible painful while an episode is occurring. This sometimes comes with constipation issues so staying regular can also solve the problem, if it is a reoccurring issue. If this does not help the issue, it may be a good idea to seek the advice of a health care professional.

Another more serious cause of left lower side back pain is cancer. This is why if you have steady or reoccurring pain of this manner that you seek medical assistance in determining the cause. There are of course other things like stones, muscle spasms, cramps, and pulled muscles. However, as with the possible cause there may also be serious underlying issues.

In the event that you are feeling this much pain and that it is ongoing, don’t delay and speak to a medical practitioner as soon as you can to try to determine the real reasons for the pain. More often that not, if you are experiencing very high levels of pain, your doctor will refer you to a specialist as these problems can get very nasty if left untreated. If it turns out to be not so serious, then at least you can put your mind at rest.
In the unfortunate scenario that it is serious, it is possible to fight the condition with solid medical treatment.

Before you visit your doctor try to remember as many things about the symptoms as you can. Things like how often do you feel the pain, the level of pain experienced, the basic region where you think the pain is coming from all will help provide your doctor a very good picture of what is causing the left lower side back pain.

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Chronic Severe Lower Back Pain

March 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Chronic severe lower back pain can usually be felt in the lower back region and even right up to the upper legs and buttocks. Chronic severe lower back pain is most probably the hardest of back pains to diagnose. As a result, people suffering from chronic severe lower back pain face a very long and painful wait, countless tests and extensive therapy to fully recover and be somewhat pain free. So if you have ever felt a little twinge in your back only to wake up with a bit of a sore back, count yourself lucky, as you cannot start to understand the level of pain that people with this condition experience every day of their life.

Discussing The Distinction

There is one main distinction within chronic back pain that is caused by different factors. These factors play an important role in determining what type of back pain you might have, and how you should go about getting it treated.

The major distinction that must be made is between chronic back pain that occurs as the result of an unidentifiable pain generator, and chronic back pain that occurs as the result of an identifiable pain generator. While the first tends to be more difficult to treat, the latter is usually associated with structural spine conditions, such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis. With chronic back pain, an unidentifiable pain generator is usually the source.

Characteristics Of Constant Discomfort

Chronic back pain is both long lasting and recurring. Both factors are considered an unavoidable part of back pain. In order to be considered chronic, back pain usually has to last continuously for three to six months. Additionally, it is common for chronic back pain to keep coming back-even after it has been thought to be resolved! The recurrence of the pain is usually sporadic and unpredictable, and it varies highly from person to person.

A Doctor’s Diagnosis

As previously stated, most chronic severe lower back pain are caused by an unidentifiable cause making very difficult for an accurate diagnosis. This is also multiplied by that fact that different people have different ways of describing the pain and the exact location. Add the fact that the level of pain tolerance is quite different from one individual to another, and you have your self a very small chance to actually pinpoint the root of the problem. A good diagnosis is paramount if you are going to have any chance of nipping chronic severe lower back pain in the bud so work closely with your doctor. Your efforts will be well rewarded by a healthy and pain free back.

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Nagging Pain In The back Below The Shoulder Blade

March 20th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you have been experiencing pain in the back below the shoulder blade you are not alone. Eight out of ten adults will experience back-related pain at some stage of their lives. The pain will either be acute or chronic.

Acute Pain

* Lasts from a few days to a few weeks
* Responsive to rest and exercise
* Cause of the pain is not easily identifiable

Chronic back pain

* Lasts from a few months onward
* Pain is constant
* Periodically flares where the pain is worse
* Will settle back to the earlier, less intense, level of pain.

Treating the pain in the back below the shoulder blade

There are several things that can ease the pain in the back below the shoulder blade. First of all, rest. For a long time, the myth has been that bed rest was the answer to get rid of back pain. Sufferers would immediately go to bed, but the pain didn’t really go away. They would lay in one position for hours as it hurt too much to shift around. The pain in the back below the shoulder blade was not relieved, even if they lay on the opposite side from where the pain is coming from, or flat on their back.

Now, doctors have discovered that bed rest can be helpful for a day, or two at most. Beyond that, it will slow recovery, as the muscles are too likely to wither and loose strength. When the back, stomach, and leg muscles are weak, the body is more prone to muscle strains and sports injuries.

Heat therapy is often recommended for back pain. For some, using moist heat is best, such as a hot bath or spa. For others, they find that ice (cold therapy) feels better. Either is fine, so experiment with the pain in the back below the shoulder blade and see which works best in your case.

Beyond heat (or cold) therapy and rest, stretching and strengthening exercises can help immensely - both to relieve the pain now and to help the body avoid pain in the future. Start off gently, with stretching the muscles of the back, stomach, and legs. Once they are a bit warmed up, do some strengthening exercises so that they are better able to handle the everyday activities you like to do.

As far as medication goes, anti-inflammatory drugs like Acetaminophen can help reduce the pain and inflammation. However if the pain in the back below the shoulder blade remains, you should see your doctor who could prescribe stronger drugs such as muscle relaxants, narcotics, and injections of corticosteroids.

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Treating A Sharp Pain That Keeps Moving Around The Back

March 19th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

A sharp pain that keeps moving around the back can be caused by quite a number of things and it is for that reason that a proper diagnosis by a qualified practitioner is a must before starting any kind of treatment.

Reasons such as ulcers, kidney stones, a pinched nerve or trauma to the back can all contribute to a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. You need to understand that the back is connected to your central nervous system and anything that happens in the vicinity of that area will be picked up and on the odd occasion, will register as a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. The moral of the story is that if you feel a stabbing back pain, it does not mean that it is 100% related to your back.

What to do if you feel a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back

If you do have, sharp pain that keeps moving around the back the best thing to do is to track the symptoms. When does it occur, what are you doing prior to, during, and after the pain. This will help to let both you and your doctors have a better understanding of what is going on when this painful symptom occurs. Does it happen right after you eat? Alternatively, does it happen only when you move a certain way? These are all questions that can help the doctor to determine exactly what the cause of your particular type of pain is and offer a solution that works for you. After you have recorded this information, make an appointment with your doctor to receive advice as to what may be causing it.

Ulcers - one of the causes for this type of back pain there are several different types peptic ulcers are usually the ulcer of choice for this type of back pain. This type of pain will probably occur right after eating and be in the upper back.

Pulled muscles and pinched nerves are also common among the culprits for this type of back pain.

Gallstones, kidney stones and other types of blockages can also cause this type of pain in the back so you should expect that x rays or other types of testing might be necessary to determine the exact nature of the pain.

Should you have a medical condition, a quick visit to your doctor will help get a proper diagnosis. Once a cause has been established, you can then begin treatment to resolve the sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. It is also a good idea to check with your doctor if he/she would recommend any alternative treatment.

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